Evil רָעָה

We are moving into chapter 44 of Genesis with our word for today which we have already looked at before. We are doing so again because it is such a big topic and it is used 3 times in our chapter. רָעָה evil, wickedness, depravity, misfortune, disaster, misery, distress, injury, morally objectionable behavior. It is used 313 times in the Old Testament. Our life in this fallen broken corrupted world is described as evil. Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the הָֽרָעָ֔ה evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”. This was the ESV the NIV translates it “days of trouble” but it is our word for evil. This is the consistent teaching of the Bible because the evil one has influence over this fallen world for now. Here is an  example that Solomon gives in Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 6:1-3 There is an רָעָ֔ה evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous רָ֖ע evil. God is the one we can ask for help when others are seeking to do evil against us. Psalm 35:4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life! Let them be turned back and disappointed who devise רָעָתִֽי evil against me! Psalm 34:19 Many are the רָע֣וֹת afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.Joseph experienced the consequences of evil committed against him and is a great example on how to trust God when this happens to us. Even though Joseph had evil done to him by his brothers he still trusted God and avoided it himself. We see this when Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him. Genesis 39:9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great הָרָעָ֤ה wickedness and sin against God? This sense of morally objectionable behavior is also how our word is used in our chapter today. Genesis 44:4 They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid רָעָ֖ה evil for good? We also see our word used two more times in our chapter where we see the evil Joseph’s brothers did to Joseph also effect his father. Genesis 44:27-29 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. One left me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces,” and I have never seen him since. If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in בְּרָעָ֖ה evil to Sheol.’ And also in Genesis 44:34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the בָרָ֔ע evil that would find my father. Because Joseph orchestrated events like he did his brothers we finally able to experience what it was like to be treated unjustly and be accused of something that they did not do. Instead of getting even with his brothers and taking revenge he arranged it so that they could feel the same emotions that Joseph experienced as consequences of the evil they had done to him. When we get ourselves involved with evil there are always negative consequences that brings harm to everyone. This is why God hates sin because it hurts his kids who he loves so very much. We are usually not aware of what is going on inside of us and around us enough to recognize the evil and take steps to stop or avoid it. This is why Joseph acted so wisely he cared enough about his brothers to wake them up to the danger of evil. The good news is that God is good and his goodness will prevail in the end which we will see when we get to chapter 50 of Genesis.